For Fun! Sample file. By Jef Wilson

Transcription

1 hiking For Fun! By Jef Wilson Content Adviser: Gary Rutz, U.S. Geological Survey, Cook, Washington Reading Adviser: Frances Bonacci, Ed.D., Reading Specialist, Cambridge, Massachusetts

2 Compass Point Books 3109 West 50th Street, #115 Minneapolis, MN Visit Compass Point Books on the Internet at or your request to Photographs : Corbis, front cover, (left), (left); Photos.com, 4-5, (center); Photodisc, 7 (left), 13 (right), (center, right), 25, 28 (bottom), 30-31, 42 (top), (background), 43 (right), 44 (right); Corel, 7 (right), 21, 27, 35, 42 (center and bottom), 43 (left), 45; AP Wide World Photos, 9, 12-13, 38-39, 40; Comstock, 11 (top, top center), 28 (right); Photos.com 11 (bottom center); Ingram Publishing 10, 11 (bottom), 25 (top); Shutterstock, 14-15; Tom Stewart/Corbis, 16-17, 29; Richard Hutchings/Corbis, 18-19; Eyewire, 28 (top and center); Phil Schermeister/Corbis, 33; Ashley Cooper/Corbis, 37 38; Courtesy of Karen Berger, 41; Ronnie Kaufman/Corbis, 44 (left); Istockphoto, 47. Editors: Deb Berry and Aubrey Whitten/Bill SMITH STUDIO; and Shelly Lyons Designer/Page Production: Geron Hoy, Kavita Ramchandran, Sinae Sohn, Marina Terletsky, and Brock Waldron/Bill SMITH STUDIO Photo Researcher: Jacqueline Lissy Brustein, Scott Rosen, and Allison Smith/Bill SMITH STUDIO Art Director: Jaime Martens Creative Director: Keith Griffin Editorial Director: Carol Jones Managing Editor: Catherine Neitge Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Wilson, Jef, Hiking for fun! / by Jef Wilson. p. cm. -- (For fun!) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: (hardcover) ISBN-10: (hardcover) ISBN: (ebook) 1. Hiking--Juvenile literature. I. Title. II. Series. GV W dc Copyright 2006 by Compass Point Books All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. The publisher takes no responsibility for the use of any of the materials or methods described in this book, nor for the products thereof. Printed in the United States of America. The Basics INTRODUCTION/ Getting Back to Nature HISTORY OF HIKING/ Exploring New Territory TYPES OF HIKING/ A Hike for Everyone! BASIC EQUIPMENT/ The Bare Essentials HIKING ATTIRE/ The Right Fit Doing It Table of Contents BEGINNING TO HIKE/ Taking Your First Steps TYPES OF TRAILS/ Happy Trails to You! NAVIGATION/ The Lay of the Land PLANTS AND ANIMALS/ Flora and Fauna SAFETY IN THE WILD/ Creepy, Crawly, and Contagious! BACKPACKING/ Walking Farther, Climbing Higher CAMPING/ Sleeping Bags and S'mores! FIRST AID/ Don't Get Stung! RULES AND REGULATIONS/ The Law of the Land People, Places, and Fun ORIENTEERING/ Hiking with a Twist THE TRIPLE CROWN/ Mountain High, Valley Low MOUNTAIN AND ROCK CLIMBING/ No Mountain High Enough CONSERVATION/ Giving Back NOTABLE HIKERS AND EXPLORERS/ Then and Now HIKING TIMELINE/ What Happened When? TRIVIA/ Fun Hiking Facts QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE/ Hiking Words to Know GLOSSARY/ Other Words to Know WHERE TO LEARN MORE INDEX Note: In this book, there are two kinds of vocabulary words. Hiking Words to Know are words specific to hiking. They are defined on page 46. Other Words to Know are helpful words that aren t related only to hiking. They are defined on page 47.

3 THE BASICS Introduction Getting Back to Nature Hiking, which is exploring the outdoors on foot, is one of the best ways to get connected to nature. It s basically walking or climbing on nature routes or trails. Sometimes there is a special destination, but often the reward of hiking is the walk itself and everything you see along the way trees, plants, animals, and bodies of water. For many people, it s a great way to get away from it all. Once you ve mastered the basics of hiking, you might even want to move on to orienteering, a competition in which hikers navigate their way across an area of land. Orienteering will really put your hiking skills to the challenge!

4 History of Hiking Exploring New Territory Today, we can easily find out about a place on the other side of the world through encyclopedias, the Internet, and maps. But before there were maps of the whole world, people only knew about the areas close to them. Hiking explorers were the first to find out about other lands. An ancient Egyptian explorer named Hannu (also known as Hennu) made the first recorded expedition, or trip, around 2750 b.c. Hannu wrote about his explorations in stone. He explored areas that are now part of eastern Ethiopia and Somalia. When he returned to Egypt, he brought back great treasures including metal, wood, and precious myrrh, which is dried tree sap used in perfumes. Many hikers, trailblazers, and other explorers have charted the world since Hannu. Their efforts have helped people learn all the things we know about the world today. Lewis and Clark's Adventures The Lewis and Clark expedition, from 1804 to 1806, was the first trip to the Pacific Coast and back. In the early 1800s, most of the country was uncharted, and people knew very little about it. Lewis and Clark made maps of major rivers and mountain ranges.

5 Types of Hiking A Hike for Everyone! Hiking allows all kinds of people to enjoy nature. Boys and girls, men and women, young folks and seniors hiking is for everyone. When you hike, you set your own pace and control where and how you go. Why hike? Hiking allows you to go places that often cannot be seen any other way. Most hiking trails do not allow cars and bikes, so the only way to enjoy them is by your own two feet. Most hikers also find peace in nature. It can help you relax and relieve stress. Exercise Your Rights Besides being fun, hiking is great exercise! Regular hiking builds strong muscles, a strong heart, and healthy lungs. It builds stamina and endurance, which means you ll have more energy for longer periods of time! Because of its wide appeal, hiking is a great way to spend time with your family and friends. There are different types of hiking. Off-trail hiking is called bushwalking or bushwhacking. Overnight or longer hikes are called backpacking. Hiking even has other names in different parts of the world. New Zealanders use the word tramping for overnight trips. Hiking in the mountains of Nepal and India is called trekking.

6 Basic Equipment The Bare Essentials Short hikes over familiar mild trails are easy. For these you only need basics like water, the right footwear, and proper clothes. In general, the longer and more complicated the hike, the more equipment you need to bring. Carefully choose your equipment. Remember that you must carry everything you need and equipment can be heavy. Never hike without a compass and a map, no matter how well you think you know the area. Always carry water and water purification tablets in case you have to refill your bottles from a stream. The footwear you'll need for your hike depends on the terrain. For very clean, cleared trails, you might even be able to hike in cross-trainers. But for more difficult routes, a pair of good hiking boots is a must. Magnify It! Binoculars are a great way to observe animals and plants without getting too close. A pair that magnifies by seven or eight power is perfect for hiking